In the Midst of War
by sakurastarberry
Summary: There is chaos and bloodshed everywhere. Sasuke has truly betrayed them. Naruto is being hunted. Sakura's life was shattering right in front of her eyes. A savior arrives but all is not what it seems. Reupload and continuation of story from pockybandits89.
1. Ad lucem

Title: In The Midst of War

Summary: There is chaos and bloodshed everywhere. Sasuke has truly betrayed them. Naruto is being hunted. Sakura's life was shattering right in front of her eyes. A savior arrives but all is not what it seems.

Rating: T

Warning(s): some violence. Naruto is a ninja story so there will be fight scenes.

Notes: This is a reupload and continuation of a fanfic from author pockybandits89.

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to its owners.

-S-

Prologue

In the distance, she saw it.

The flash of lightning was unmistakable.

She couldn't believe her eyes.

The enemy had closed in on her. Her chakra was running low. Her medic instincts told her to run to scream to yell for help. If this went on, she would die and she couldn't die. No, not now when she still had goals to fulfill.

Clang! Her kunai clashed with the enemy. His speed was greater than hers. He was someone she couldn't recognize. He was a reanimated corpse from another village. She felt sickened by it. The souls resting in peace were disturbed, forced to fight the war like puppets. She sent a well aimed chakra-laced punch and the enemy toppled off the cliff.

Her emerald eyes gazed down at the battlefield. Wait! She wasn't safe yet. She couldn't just sit there and rest. Sure enough, there was no spare moment for relief. More enemies were approaching her. She couldn't take five of them. Her eyelids were already drooping, her limbs sluggish.

Panting, as she avoided severe damage, she considered escaping. She had enough chakra to break off a section off the cliff. No, she would not allow herself to endanger her allies for the sake of her safety. She refused. There was no way she would revert to her genin days. She no longer needed him to be her shield.

How could she possibly take on all of them at the same time? A plan formed in her head. Superior chakra control came in handy. Her chakra scalpels transformed her arms into deadly weapons, perfect for cutting. She failed to notice the enemies approaching behind her. Now, she was outnumbered ten to one.

A kunai cut her leg as she kicked an enemy, while simultaneously punching one. Her movements slowed. Another slash. She collapsed on the rocky ground.

Her eyes closed as she waited for the final blow. Images drifted across her mind. Sasuke-kun…her parents…Naruto…Tsunade…Kakashi-sensei…Ino…Sai…she silently said farewell to them.

Before the kunai could pierce heart, a bolt of lightning stabbed her assailant. All the rest went down the same way in the blink of an eye. She searched looking for her sensei. Instantly, she was swept into someone's arms. She tried to thank her savior. His black mask resembled Kakashi's and yet, this man had jet-black hair.

No! It was impossible. The blood loss must be messing with her mind.

Just before her eyes closed, she saw a pair of obsidian eyes.

AN: This is only a prologue. The next chapters will be longer. Tell me what you think! Thank you for reading J


	2. Aurora

Title: In The Midst of War

Summary: There is chaos and bloodshed everywhere. Sasuke has truly betrayed them. Naruto is being hunted. Sakura's life was shattering right in front of her eyes. A savior arrives but all is not what it seems.

Rating: T

Warning(s): some violence. Naruto is a ninja story so there will be fight scenes.

Notes: This is a reupload and continuation from pockybandits89.

Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to its owners.

Chapter 2: aurora

Sakura's blood stained his clothes. A quick scan of the area with his Sharingan indicated the area was safe. His time spent in Orochimaru's lair proved useful. He had managed to acquire basic healing techniques as he watched Kabuto work. Though, he never had to use it until now.

As he tried to slowly patch up Sakura's wounds with his chakra, he realized just how difficult it was. Sasuke was amazed at the amount of control and concentration necessary. Half of the chakra he used was going to waste. It was unwise to use up his chakra like this. They were in the middle of a battlefield after all. But, it was the only way to save Sakura's life.

He was startled by the sound of her voice. Thankfully, he managed to keep the flow of chakra consistent.

"Sasuke-kun"

"Sa…suke…kun"

She mumbled his name over and over again.. He wondered if she had recognized him in the brief moment that their eyes met. He had been wearing a mask similar to Kakashi's and a stolen forehead protector with the alliance symbol.

He couldn't return to Konoha yet. There was still unfinished business to attend to. It would be troublesome once Sakura woke up and alerted the others about his presence.

Once Sakura's wounds were closed, he searched her medic nin pack for supplies. He hesitated as his hands reached the hem of her shirt. He kept his eyes closed as he removed the torn, bloody shirt and changed het into a spare shirt of his. He bought plenty that did not bear the mark of his clan. He preferred for Uchiha Sasuke to stay out of sight for now.

After he finished wrapping bandages around Sakura's legs and still not fully-healed stomach, he changed his appearance. A henge was least obvious if not much of the original appearance was altered. He opted for dark blue hair and brown eyes.

Her eyes fluttered open to meet his gaze.

"Sasuke-kun"

The world around her was bleak emptiness. It was a white space with nothing in it besides her. Slowly, the void was filled with her fondest memories.

She wondered if she was dead. She was almost sure she had seen Sasuke's eyes. Kakashi was not the only one who used lightning-based techniques.

Her memories of their genin days played through her mind. Her training with Tsunade-shishou, bell test with Kakashi-sensei, and ramen with Naruto and Sai, and her parents as they celebrated her birthday was displayed in front of her.

She called out to them, knowing they couldn't hear her voice.

Suddenly, she felt it. Foreign chakra made its way through her body. Her vital organs had not been damaged, but the blood loss was still enough to make her faint. It was strange. The chakra felt familiar. It was warm and cool at the same time, as if gently soothing her.

She knew then that she would make it. She recalled the previous moments. She was winning and then five opponents had appeared and then even more and oh no she was put of chakra and the blood loss was too much and the kunai was about to stab her and then… he appeared to save her.

Her eyes slowly fluttered open to meet his gaze.


	3. Nomen nescio

Her eyes slowly fluttered open to meet his gaze.

She blinked slowly, waiting for the blurry surroundings to clear up.

A handsome boy was peering carefully at her, trying to assess the extent of damage. There was something achingly familiar in the cold, calculating gaze. He was wearing the symbol of the Alliance, but Sakura was sure that she had never seen him before. His hair was the color of a dark blue ocean and his eyes were a warm, chocolate brown. The skin was smooth and pale, high cheekbones, and perfect symmetry made up his attractive face.

_Stupid!_ Sakura inwardly cursed herself for staring at him like the little girl she used to be. She should've been watching his eyes, his hands, making sure he wouldn't attack her. It was strange. This boy was a stranger and there was something intimidating about his eyes, but she felt _safe_.

That was normal. He was her savior.

"Haruno. Haruno, can you hear me?" the smooth, calm voice called, breaking her out of her reverie.

She blinked once, twice and scanned her surroundings. All she could see around her were rocks and cave formations. Sakura tried getting up, immediately regretting it when pain shot through her middle. Wincing, she carefully analyzed her stomach injury. Her eyes closed again, concentrating on measuring her chakra levels.

"There's no use. You're out of chakra." The boy spoke again, as if reading her mind. "I'm not a medic. I can't heal you completely."

"I'm fine." He nodded and left her side to rummage in his pack. She watched his movements, still hesitant to trust him. How was it that he knew her name? In her few years of being a ninja and doing missions, she had never seen him before. She was positive she would remember if she had ever seen him. Few boys had such striking features. He turned around, holding the water bottle in front of her, making sure to show her both of his hands.

"Who are you?" There was no sense in prolonging the inevitable. If he was planning to kill her, he could have just left her in the field to die by another's hands. Yet, especially in wartime, medics were valuable assets. Her savior could be an enemy.

"Raizel. From Cloud." That would explain the lightning techniques, she supposed. But not how he knew her. "You're Haruno from Konoha. Medic with pink hair. Description fits."

Sakura nodded, placated for now. He was from another village. It answered her questions. "Thank you."


	4. aqua pura

Relief flooded through Sasuke as Sakura opened her eyes. The henge was successful. If Sakura had known of his true identity, she would've immediately latched on to him. Strangely, there were no tears, nor hysterical screaming as Sakura took everything in.

The familiar emerald eyes stared up at him, scrutinizing his features. The mistrust was overshadowed by the curious look in her eyes, searching for something. He wondered if she suffered any sort of brain damage, as she remained mute, even after calling her (last) name.

He gently pushed her back down as she tried to sit up. She had closed her eyes, probably trying to manipulate chakra. Telling her not to even try, he searched for a water bottle. The high-pitched voice sounded dry, exhausted.

Sakura was not out of danger yet. _She may never be_. The voice in his head added. It was true; risks were higher in times of war. But she had been in danger ever since the moment she joined the Ninja Academy just to be with him.

Sasuke decided he could spare a few days. The stay wouldn't be completely useless if he could gain some intel.

"_Thank you."_

Two simple words but they were dripping with meaning.

Carefully, he lifted up her upper body, trying not to jostle her wounds as he leaned her against him. Sasuke was familiar with the sight of blood that followed him everywhere, every waking moment and nightmare. The sight of her blood turned something in his stomach, suppressing the urge to vomit. Her hands reached for the unopened water bottle slowly. She stared at the contents as she twisted the cap.

"It isn't poisoned," he demonstrated, tilting the bottle into his open mouth, making sure that his lips did not touch it. Sakura abhorred sharing food and drinks with anyone, disgusted by the thought of their saliva. (_He shared a similar opinion, but neither of them ever minded sharing with each other. Sakura would happily press her lips to the spot where his touched a glass or a bottle and then later gloat to Yamanaka about indirect kisses with Sasuke-kun.)_

Sakura watched him drink a few gulps of water. He tilted the bottle into her mouth gently, patiently holding it steady as she drank most of the bottle.

She moved her head slightly, silently telling him she drank enough. Her eyes widened as he finished up the rest of the bottle, not minding that she drank from it. His eyes followed hers, a corner of his lips turning up into a smirk.

In that moment, Sakura was reminded of _him_ again. (_She remembers a hot summer day when she bravely asked to share a bottle of water with him. His left eyebrow rose at the odd request. Hadn't she just rejected Naruto's offer? She had been so thirsty and secretly relished the opportunity of an indirect kiss. She remembers how she blushed furiously when he took it back from her and finished the last few gulps._)

Sakura shook her head slightly to get rid of the images. There were so many other things to think about, more pressing matters. A slight dizziness took over and she leaned into him more, resting her head comfortably against his shoulder.

"I appreciate all your help, Raizel-san. I'm fine now. You may leave and go back to your unit."

In return, he shook his head and explained, "I'm low on chakra. I'll stay with you for a bit."

"If we're both low on chakra, then-," her eyes darted around the cave once more. It was small, but a waterfall guarded it. She had only noticed it now. That wasn't much of a defense.

Raizel-san didn't seem stupid. Surely he must have realized that enemies could easily find them here and they would de defenseless. Gut instinct told her that he wouldn't intentionally endanger her. A second, more meticulous glance and then- Ah! There it was. A faint flicker of chakra barely visible around the edges.

"You're skilled at genjutsu, " she appraised.

"You seem to have an affinity for it yourself, " he countered. Very few would have been able to detect his genjutsu. "Go back to sleep."

She easily fell prey to the swirling demons in his eyes and closed her eyes, snuggling into his chest. He shifted to lean back against the wall of the cave. He reached out for his plain black cloak and draped it over both of them.


	5. mane

A few hours later, Sasuke gently shook Sakura awake. Her eyes opened slowly, still heavy with sleep.

"Have some breakfast," he offered, pointing to the pot of water boiling over the small fire. There were packets of ramen nearby too.

As she sat up slowly, he took out two bowls, two cups, and two pairs of chopsticks. He then took out a box of tea, asking her to pick a flavor. With his bare hands, he took the pot out of the fire, unfazed by the hot temperature. Fire and lightning were his main elements. A little bit of heat was nothing.

Sasuke prepared their breakfast in front of her, making sure that she could see his every action. She was still cautious, and rightfully so. A ninja could never survive long if he or she trusted strangers so easily.

Helping her sit up and lean against the cave, he gave her the bowl and a cup of the green tea. He finished his meal swiftly and doused the fire.

"How long has it been since we left the battleground?" she asked.

"It's only been the second day. How are your wounds?"

"There's no more bleeding. You treated them well. Thank you."

A nod was his only response. He started packing up his backpack, with the exception of the sleeping bag she was sitting on. She stood up slowly, testing her limbs, passing a green chakra-covered hand over her wounds. A small smile lit up her face. Soon, she would be able to rejoin the battlefield.

"Rest a bit more. We head back to your unit at nightfall."

"Isn't your unit looking for you? They might think something happened to you." She wondered.

He walked over to her, handing her a scroll and ink. Then, he quickly summoned two hawks.

"Send your group a message. I'm going to check in with my captain. Tell the other hawk to summon me if you need anything."

"You have a contract with hawks. That must come in handy when in battle. Is it true that there are big ones you can ride on?"

He was already walking way, ignoring her questions. There was a sigh, a mutter of "How rude!" and then the sound of a scroll unfurling. Then the rush of water met him. He took a quick glance around his surroundings, Sharingan activated. A few moments later, he strengthened the genjutsu barrier around the cave, taking care to ensure that Sakura's presence was concealed.


	6. Salve, quid agis

Trees blurred into green watercolor paint splashed all over the canvas of Sasuke's surroundings. Within minutes, he made it to a small, secluded clearing. He stopped on a high, sturdy branch and leaned against the trunk of the tree. To pass the time, he started sharpening his katana.

As he was redrawing a set of seals on his left arm, a powerful chakra approached. Not even bothering to look up from his task, he waited for the newcomer to speak.

"Sorry, I'm late. There was a beautiful lady that needed—" he began, but his speech was swiftly cut off as Sakura's Konoha headband was thrown at him. Recognition flittered in Kakashi's only exposed eye.

"Her wounds aren't fatal. I'll send you another message so you can pick her up," he explained.

"I didn't think we would see you again so soon, Sasuke, " Kakashi greeted in a friendly tone, but they both knew the underlying questions.

What are your intentions? Whose side are you on? Will you come back to Team 7?

Silence ensued between them. Sasuke debated on whether or not he would answer Kakashi at all.

"What is this? An apology for attacking her?" Kakashi pried.

Anger flashed in Sasuke's eyes. How dare he! Kakashi, of all people, knew what really happened that day. Even with the almost three year separation, his role as sensei allowed him to understand Sasuke's movements.

"It wasn't aimed at her. Besides, she attacked first," he replied quietly, unable to resist the barb. Bitterness laced within his words, recalling the feeling of utmost betrayal when Sakura had appeared after his fight with Danzo.

It was aimed at you. Sasuke had confirmed his suspicions. He nodded. Sasuke was no longer the arrogant, but kind little boy from Konoha. Still, some things remained the same. Even though Sasuke was often annoyed at Sakura's antics, he had appointed himself as her protector. This trait had managed to remain even as Sasuke plummeted steadily towards the flames of evil.

"Don't send a message. Just have the hawk fly above me and I'll come here to get Sakura."

Sasuke nodded, turning his attention back to Kakashi. There was no use dwelling on something so insignificant.

Kakashi tossed the headband back to Sasuke and disappeared in a swirl of leaves, in the same manner as their showy appearance during the Chuunin exams. Sasuke shook his head, berating himself for even conjuring up old memories. Konoha was full of filth.

He stood and gathered some crisp, red apples. Sasuke activated his Sharingan and returned to his and Sakura's temporary dwelling.

A/N: I know I said I would make this longer, but there isn't really much to this scene. I just added the important parts. Here, you can see that Sasuke sent a message to Kakashi about Sakura's condition. Also, Sasuke is still a past-oriented person. And I wanted to point out that Sasuke knew Kakashi was arriving at the battlescene. He only used Chidori to coax Kakashi to come out. He wasn't actually aiming to hit Sakura.

You'll notice some little flashbacks. They won't always be italicized. Sometimes, it is just some commentary.

Oh, and the thing with the water in one of the chapters. I don't know if they're germophobes. I'm just assuming that. And mainly, that's a little bit of my personality. I don't like sharing food or drinks. But if it was someone like Sasuke, I would definitely share with them. Sorry if that was a weird OOC scene. I just thought it was a nice way to show that they had fond memories of each other and they were remembering the same things.

PS: Anyone notice the chapter names? They're in Latin.

What are the seals on Sasuke's arms? That will be revealed in a couple of chapters.


	7. spondeo

"Where is my headband?" Sakura asked out loud, as though expecting an answer from the empty cave. She rummaged through her pack and briefly considered going out to look for it. Except, the surroundings were unfamiliar and it probably wasn't wise to leave when she wasn't fully healed yet.

"I have it," Sasuke announced, startling Sakura.

Her heart skipped a beat. That voice. Sasuke-kun?

Her hopes immediately shattered when instead of Sasuke's smirking face, she saw the handsome stranger. In the darkness of the cave, this man in front of her almost looked like the man that constantly haunted her dreams.

Sakura blinked a few times and shook her head slightly, wondering why her mind was assaulting her with memories of her lost teammate.

"Haruno, did you hear me? I showed it to your sensei, Kakashi."

Great. Now, he probably think Konoha kunoichi are stupid and slow. "Sorry. I'm feeling a little dizzy. What were you saying? You met Kakashi-sensei? Where is he? Did he come with you to take me back?" She said, asking all her questions at once.

He strode over to her, one of his hands gripping one of her arms and the other going around her waist. Sasuke carefully led her back to the sleeping bag and she easily complied.

"Yes. Not here. No. Rest for now. We'll meet him tomorrow morning," came his clipped responses.

He sat next to her, and proceeded to remove items from his backback. She noticed the bowls from earlier were cleaned and wrapped in white cloth. Then a small, folding paring knife and some bright red apples. A bottle of water was handed to her. The apples were peeled and cut into perfect slices, and then, dropped into the bowls.

He passed her one and started eating his share.

"Raizel-san, you said you only know basic medical techniques. I was looking at my wounds earlier. For someone with just the basics, you did an admirable job. I can teach you a better way of closing wounds. It's not good for them to heal too quickly; speeding up cell regeneration can have negative effects if done too much," she offered, hoping he would not be offended.

He simply shook his head and finished his last slice.

"Consider it a 'thank you' for helping me," she pleaded.

"I'm not asking for gratitude. I just did my duty," he explained, looking directly into her eyes.

"It's my duty to help allies too. I want to help the Alliance in any way I can. But it's fine if you really don't want to."

To this, he had no answer. A few moments of silence passed. Finally, he stood and walked over to the other side of the cave. He laid his cloak on the ground and lied down, back facing her.

"Sleep. We leave at dawn."


	8. iter itineris part i

Sasuke looked out as the sun started its journey across the sky of endless blue and drifting clouds. His things were mostly packed, except for the sleeping bag Sakura borrowed.

He crouched down besides her, her face illuminated by the small fireballs floating around inside the cave.

"Haruno, wake up," he whispered. His hand slowly rose to touch her shoulder. Sakura slept on her side, half of her face tucked into his pillow. Her legs were curled up, and her hands grasped the blanket firmly. The temperature was far from cold. While she was sleeping, he cleaned up the campfire and replaced it with fireballs, hovering near enough to keep her warm, but far enough that there was no chance she would get burned.

He gripped her shoulder more firmly and shook her awake. Sakura stubbornly clung to the blankets tighter and turned over, pressing her face against the pillow.

Sasuke sighed, tired of her antics. It had always been difficult to wake Sakura. She had a tendency to be a deep sleeper, her body ignoring the dangerous surroundings. Whenever Naruto tried to wake her, she would purposely punch him in the face. Kakashi was always gone in the morning and the duty was left to Sasuke. He moved the pink strands away from her ear.

"Sakura, wake up," he said, raising his voice a few notches above a whisper, while prying the blanket away from Sakura. With that obstacle removed, she awoke instantly.

She blinked a few times, her mind racing to put a name to the figure in front of her.

"There's a stream nearby. I'll take you there so you can wash up. "

There was no trace of fright in Sakura's eyes. Sasuke did not hesitate to pull her up to her feet. He packed up the sleeping bag and pillow. A hawk flew into the cave anf stopped besides him. He tied the packs to hawk's claw.

Sakura gasped as he picked her up and placed her on his back for a piggyback ride.

"I can walk! Raizel-san, really. I appreciate all the help you're giving me, but this is unnecessary." She protested, even as he was already walking towards the exit.

Her please went ignored and she looked around instead, noticing that the genjutsu was still in place.

"Aren't you going to -" Sakura began.

"No," he interrupted, already knowing what she was going to say.

"That's so rude," she muttered under her breath.

Sasuke simply shook his head. He jumped down from the cave and Sakura was stunned at his speed. Only seconds passed and they were already at the base of the cliff. The cave was located behind a waterfall. Below, there was a steam with crystalline water.

He sat her down gently on one of the rocks. The hawk flew down beside him. Opening the pack, he took out some snack bars, a plain blue shirt and a pair of sweatpants. He glanced at her briefly, estimating the length of her legs. The height difference between them had increased significantly. He grabbed a kunai and cut it to her size.

"Here," he handed her the clothes. "I'll be back in half an hour."

He tossed her the snack backs and disappeared into the woods.


	9. Iter itineris part II

Also, it is intentional that Sakura only calls him "Raizel-san" because she doesn't know it is really Sasuke. However, the third person POV allows the narrator to call him Sasuke.

"Your group has a camp set up nearby. I arranged a meeting with your captain," Sasuke announced as he picked up her up again.

This time, he gradually decreased his pace as they traveled through the trees. Too fast, and the scouts would become suspicious of his speed. A mile away from the camp, he stopped at a clearing.

"He's late," Sasuke complained.

Sakura's soft giggles tickled his ear as she explained, "Oh, he always is, Raizel-san. Does he not have that reputation outside Konoha?"

Sasuke remained silent for a few seconds, wondering if he should answer. He had to be careful not to reveal too much information, yet he couldn't appear completely ignorant. Was Sakura testing him? No, she couldn't possibly have any inkling as to whom he really was. If anything, Sakura was still mildly cautious and was using this as an opportunity to learn more about him.

"No. We know him as the Copy Ninja; he knows over a thousand techniques."

"Sensei is much more than that," she said, a faraway look in her eyes, unseen by Sasuke but her voice echoed with sentiment.

"Raizel-san, put me down, please. Thank you for everything. I'm sure you need to go back to your team. I can stay here and wait. You said camp was nearby. One of the scouts is sure to find me. Or I can just go to camp myself. I can walk. Where is it?"

"That information was not revealed to me," he explained as he set her down and led her to lean against a tree.

"Oh."

And then, silence. Sakura realized that with the abundance of enemies, Kakashi would, of course, be cautious. Sasuke remained silent as Sakura contemplated the implications of this. It would serve as a good reminder to always be on guard. Sakura should not have trusted "Raizel-san" so easily, just after a few acts of kindness.

Truthfully, Sasuke knew the location. It would just be an unnecessary hassle to take Sakura directly there and undergo questioning. There was also the possibility of a Hyuuga being there. His henge could fool anyone without keen senses, but he wasn't going to risk a Hyuuga recognizing his chakra flow.

One of his hawks flew down towards him, signaling Kakashi's arrival.

Sakura gasped in surprise as he suddenly vanished into thin air as soon as the hawk had landed on his arm.

"Raizel-san?" I thought he was going to wait for Kakashi-sensei to show up.

As she stared at the now-empty spot, Kakashi appeared beside her.

"Sakura, how are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. Do you know a Raizel from Cloud? He helped me."

"I received his message, but I've never met him."

"Was he an enemy? He didn't hurt me or interrogate me or anything, " she said, wondering about his motives..

"Maybe not. I just can't take any chances. Come on let's go back to base." As he said this, there was a hint of something hidden in his voice. Sakura would have questioned him more, but he was already walking away.

He turned, "Come on, Sakura. Do you need me to carry you?"

Sakura flushed with embarrassment and hurried after Kakashi-sensei, heading towards their base.


	10. rogare

"How are your new eyes, Sasuke?" An ominous voice asked.

He expected to return to base without any hindrances. Yet, here was the masked man, leaning against the entrance.

"Fine," Sasuke met his red-eyed gaze with his own fiery red, refusing intimidation. He waited for an inquiry about his activities. None came.

Madara held his gaze for a few more seconds; then, satisfied with Sasuke's reaction, he vanished in a swirling mass of orange and black.

Sasuke moved forward to the large tree. He sliced his arm and let droplets of blood fall to the roots. The gnarled roots twisted and slithered like snakes, moving apart to reveal a hole.

After leaving Sakura with Kakashi, he returned to the waterfall to bathe thoroughly, until he was sure there was no trace of Sakura's scent on him. He then burned the sleeping bag, it would be easy to acquire a new one, easier than finding every strand of pink hair left behind. For once, he was grateful for Sakura's weakened state. If her chakra clung to him, it would be undeniable evidence.

Sasuke walked into the lobby of the underground base, ignoring the numerous "Welcome back, young prince," "How may I serve you, Uchiha-dono?" and "How are you, Sasuke-sama?" The servants stopped bothering him when he didn't answer, like always. It irritated him when they referred to him as though he was royalty. The formalities reminded him of the family he lost. He headed for the supply room, looking for a new sleeping bag.

All the while, he wondered about his actions. He should not have interfered in Sakura's fight. It was Konoha's problem. Sakura was not meant for the battlefield. Naruto or Kakashi should have just kept her away from the battles, safe with the civilians.

He didn't want to admit it, but he couldn't just standby and let Sakura die. At this point, he found himself cursing her parents for naming her after the fragile flower. Did they want their daughter to have a fleeting life?

Sasuke continued browsing through the shelves, restocking on food and water. He then grabbed a second and third backpack and filled them up with supplies too. With his packs replenished, he sealed them into a small scroll along with a generous supply of weaponry.

Months of travel, hunting for Itachi taught him survival skills. Orochimaru's teachings helped too. He was a sick monster, but his knowledge was useful. Expecting to use Sasuke's body as his next vessel, Orochimaru fed him poisonous substances, gradually increasing dosages until his immune system strengthened. Kabuto had also begrudgingly taught him about medicinal herbs and venomous animals. At seventeen, Sasuke already knew one thousand ways to kill.

Lingering at the base for a few days wasn't a part of his plans, but he needed to placate Madara. Sasuke wasn't honest, or kind, or patient, but he was determined. If he needed to wait, then he would. Nothing could stop him.

"Sakura, tell me every detail you remember about your encounter with Raizel-san."

"Kakashi-sensei, I don't think he was an enemy. His chakra, it was… soothing. And he saved me."

Kakashi sighed. Sakura was too trusting. He already knew Sasuke wouldn't hurt Sakura, but Sakura and Konoha were two very different things.

"This is standard procedure. I've already checked you with my Sharingan, but this is just extra precaution."

"Ok," and Sakura proceeded to tell him about the events, with minor editing. There was no need to tell Kakashi-sensei about Raizel-san's gorgeous face (and body) and how Sasuke kept appearing in her thoughts.

Sakura's tale matched with his earlier assumption, but did not reveal anything about Sasuke's motives. Sasuke had played his part well and Sakura was left with only a microscopic amount of doubt and suspicion. He suspected there were a few things Sakura left out, but they must have been trivial. Kakashi didn't bother asking her about foods and drinks she consumed, knowing Sasuke would not have poisoned her.

Kakashi led Sakura back to the tent she and Ino and shared, telling her to get some rest before resuming her medical duties.

Alone with her thoughts, Sakura stared at the old picture of Team 7, a lone tear dripping onto the glass of the framed picture. She remembered the kind, but rude savior. When they were genin, it was almost always Sasuke that saved her. Even now, Sakura wouldn't resent him if he came back and protected her like she was made of fine china.

But that was impossible now, Sakura reminded herself bitterly. Her free hand moved to her neck, trying to push away the memory of Sasuke attacking her. Part of her still refused to believe Sasuke would try to kill her, but she remembered the faint bruise left behind, mocking her. She supposed it was only fair that he retaliated. After all, she had come to him with the intent of killing him.

"Save him from darkness." The mantra was repeated in her mind, but when the moment came, her resolve faltered. There was no way she could kill Sasuke-kun, even if it was to save him from the darkness that consumed him. Her logical mind rationalized that it was only because she was indebted to him. She couldn't take the life of her protector, the one who had risked his life numerous times to save her.

Sakura put the picture away, hiding it inside a scroll. She wiped the tears away and forcefully banished Sasuke-kun from her mind. Instead, she would think of Raizel-san and how to repay him.

With these thoughts, she drifted off to sleep.

Madara appeared in the storage room shortly after Sasuke left. A brief sweep of the shelves with his Sharingan and he already knew exactly how many supplies were taken.

"What are you up to, Sasuke?"

Sasuke was a smart boy, with an IQ higher than most. He was ignored by most, in favor of the elder son, Itachi, but Madara knew Sasuke was also a prodigy. No one but him realized he had more potential than Itachi. Sasuke was covering his tracks well, taking extra supplies would not arise suspicion for most people.

But Madara had played this game far longer than Sasuke.


	11. Dissero

**dissero**

to discuss

The clouds overhead clumped together and steadily turned darker. The trackers groaned at this. Rain could easily wash away traces of scent. Soon enough, the clouds heard their pleas and promptly ignored them, teasing them with sporadic rainfall. After a few days, the clouds grew tired of their games. The big clumps of cotton clouds separated into thinner, feathery wisps.

With the arrival of the clearer skies came news from the royal family.

"Sakura, how are you feeling?" Ino asked as she approached Sakura's curled up form in their shared tent.

Noting the lack of an insult, Sakura replied, "I'm fine. I'm not a pig like you!"

Smiling at the familiar nickname, Ino protested, "At least I don't have a big forehead!"

If they were insulting each other, then things were going to be just fine.

"Anyway, Sakura, the rumor mill says you were saved by a dazzling knight in shining armor. Was he handsome like a prince?" Ino asked, a dreamy look in her eyes.

At Ino's words, the face of her savior flooded her vision again. Memories surging back. He had saved her and he was handsome, but how did Ino know this? He hadn't come anywhere near the base.

"How do you -"

"When you didn't come back, Hinata and I left to search for you. Then, Kakashi-sensei told us to go back. He said someone already found you and was taking care of you. That's so romantic, isn't it?"

Sakura sighed. She desperately wanted to join Ino in their childhood fairytale world, but they had to grow up, "No. He was just an ally from Kumo. Yes, he was good-looking, but you know I'm not interested in that anymore."

Ino didn't reply to this, knowing that Sakura was thinking about Sasuke-kun again. Deciding to change the topic, she started with the latest news with a mix of gossip, "Did you hear? The Fire Daimyo abdicated! I heard that he wasn't really part of the family. His brother is going to take the throne now. For an old guy, he's really good-looking. He has a daughter that's even prettier than Kurenai-sensei!"

"Isn't that the man that doesn't like ninjas? Didn't he disown his own daughter?" Sakura asked, intrigued.

"Yeah. But that's not the most interesting bit. Do you know why he disowned his own daughter?" Ino paused, and as expected, Sakura shook her head. "She fell in love with one of her ninja guards. When the royal family found out she was unmarried and pregnant, they disowned her!"

"And? Why is this important?" Surely, there was some significance.

"Don't you get it? Someone in Konoha has royal blood! I wonder who it is," Ino pondered.

"That was two decades ago. Where did you even hear about her eloping with a ninja? That's absurd! We learned about the royal family at the Academy. The elder daughter became pregnant out of wedlock. She was disowned and passed away due to complications from the miscarriage," Sakura explained, remembering the details from her history lessons.

"Then, how come I heard he's requesting an audience with Tsunade-sama?"

"We're in the middle of a war. It's normal for the daimyo to want to talk to the Hokage, " Sakura retorted, dismissing Ino's assumptions.

"Fine, forehead. Don't believe me, I heard it from two senpais. Let's get some breakfast and get back to work," Ino replied, allowing Sakura to drop the topic.


	12. fabula

**fabula**

story

In the brightly lit library, deep underground, Sasuke sat at a desk covered in opened scrolls and textbooks. He crossed out half an hour's worth of calculations. There wasn't much information recorded about Amaterasu. Ever since Sasuke had first acquired the ability, he practiced for hours, trying to control the flames. The Amaterasu was a powerful weapon, but inconvenient in battle because of the amount of chakra it consumed. Additionally, the nature itself, "Blaze Release," was only wielded by members of the Uchiha Clan. Left with no other choice, Sasuke started working out calculations based on fire jutsu techniques. Yet, the flames behaved differently and Sasuke was reluctant to ask Madara about it. He was determined to solve his own problems.

Surprisingly, the masked man had left him alone. Not completely, as Zetsu's clones still surrounded him. Even though Sasuke could easily evade the clones, he didn't want reports of his absences to reach Madara. A whole week had passed since the incident with Sakura, but Sasuke remained inside the base. He polished his weapons and read books about elemental chakra.

As Sasuke started with a different formula, Madara's mask appeared, followed by the rest of his body. He walked over to Sasuke's seated form.

"Amaterasu has a greater output than fire jutsu, but it doesn't require as much chakra as Susanoo, " Madara explained as he glanced at Sasuke's research, noting that Sasuke had done most of the calculations inside his head.

Sasuke glared at him. He knew that already, of course. He could still remember how every cell of his body screamed at the pain of using Susanoo. His heart rate sped up and his lungs gasped for air. It was the price to pay for an invincible shield.

"Fire Country has a new daimyo. He despises ninja. Maybe he will be more… sympathetic to our cause, " Madara announced, watching Sasuke's face closely. As expected of an Uchiha, Sasuke showed no sign of a reaction.

"What do you want me to do?" Sasuke asked, already expecting a mission of some sort.

"Follow the instructions in this scroll. Avoid the Alliance and the nobles but remember this: The new fire daimyo can be a great asset, " were Madara's final words as he disappeared into a swirl.

Sasuke was left scowling at the thought of working with the daimyo.

"Sakura, we're needed at Cloud, " Kakashi commanded, as he stepped inside the Medic tent.

"But, Kakashi-sensei, I can't just leave my patients, " Sakura protested.

"They can handle it," Kakashi then lowered his voice, "Hokage-sama has requested this."

At this, Sakura had no choice but to comply. She grabbed her backpack and followed Kakashi out of the campground.

After a few hours of traveling towards Cloud, Kakashi veered off-course and headed towards a small village.

She found this odd, but Sakura trusted Kakashi and followed him without question (Not out loud, at least). They headed towards a small cabin on the outskirts of the village. Sakura turned around, getting the eerie feeling that someone was watching them, but she did not feel a hint of fear and dismissed it. Kakashi knocked on the door and an elderly woman wearing a dark blue shawl covered in beads appeared.

"Konoha ninja," she greeted softly. Her back was hunched and her movements were slow. "I know what you're here for. Come in. My name is Yori Harada."

Sakura stared up at Kakashi-sensei. Confusion clouded her eyes but she followed them inside the humble abode. Inside, there were floor cushions and a table near the fire. The grandmother

"Hokage-sama received your message. Harada-san, you claim to know what happened to the daughter of the new daimyo, " Kakashi began.

"Didn't she die when she had a miscarriage?" Sakura could no longer sit silently. All she understood was that they were talking about the royal family. She had thought that Ino was just gossiping, but even Kakashi-sensei and Hokage-sama were taking an interest in the affair. There were so many questions floating around in her head. One question answered just led to more questions.

"Well, Kakashi, aren't you going to answer her? I'm sure you've already figured out what happened, " Harada-san revealed.

Kakashi, instead of answering Sakura, replied, "I'm here to confirm it."

"Let me tell you a story then," Harada-san began.

More than twenty years ago, Konoha and the Fire nobles had a good relationship. Konoha ninja were frequently invited to the capital. The great clans, especially, were honored guests.

There was a rash, arrogant boy, barely out of his teen years and very handsome. He was always eager for action, looking for every opportunity to prove himself worthy as successor. His clan head, his father, sent him to the capitol. Partly to learn leadership skill, but mostly to cool down. The family hoped that a few months would quell his impulsivity and tame the roaring fire within him.

He was sent to the capital and the royal family welcomed him. There, he met the beautiful princess. At first, he hated it there. He was restless, craving the thrill of battle. The princess was kind, gentle, and understanding. She managed to coax him out of his prideful shell and he taught her how to fight. Her father disapproved of their friendship, but the uncle (the previous daimyo) found no harm in it. Soon, it became time for the ninja to leave. The princess had fallen in love with him and convinced her uncle to assign the ninja as her personal guard. The Hokage approved it. The princess and the ninja were granted permission to travel the world for a bit.

One day, the royal family ordered the pair to return. The uncle allowed the princess a taste of freedom while they arranged a marriage for her. The princess was supposed to be married to prince from Lightning. The prince was a friend that had fallen deeply in love with her. He persuaded his father and the fire daimyo to arrange their marriage. They had hoped that it would strengthen the relationship between the two countries.

The princess and the ninja came back, unaware of the arrangement. The princess happily announced that she was pregnant. The ninja asked the family for permission to marry her. The lovers expected them to support their union. The ninja was no peasant. He was going to become the clan head and a possible candidate to become Hokage.

The family was angered at this. They wanted to abort the child and honor the arrangement with the prince. They planned to disgrace the ninja and claim that he took advantage of the princess. However, someone overheard their plans. As the loyal servant of the princess, I helped them escape and hid them here temporarily.

The royal family disowned the princess and swore vengeance at the ninja. The ninja's clan was disappointed in him, but they still loved him. His father retired early so that he could become clan head. He returned to Konoha with a beautiful bride. No one dared to question where he came from. The Hokage assisted in hiding the identity of the disowned princess.

They married right before she gave birth to their first child. She persuaded him to train her until she reached jounin status. As the matriarch of a powerful clan, she did not want to remain a civilian. I came with her to Konoha and helped her take care of their two children.

Sasuke read the scroll and headed out. On his way to find the village, he spotted Kakashi and Sakura. He stayed a fair distance behind them and realized they were heading towards the same location. He watched as an old woman appeared at the door and gestured for the Konoha ninja to enter. Curiosity filled him, and he hid in the trees. From his position, he could only see the backs of Sakura and Kakashi's heads, but he was able to see the old woman's face clearly. The elderly woman looked familiar. He activated his Sharingan and read her lip movements.

The italics is a flashback.


	13. History

"I took care of the first born child for a few years. When the princess became pregnant with her second child, I planned to stay. But, shortly after the second son was born, I was asked to leave. I didn't want to go, but outsiders were no longer welcome. The clan head arranged for me to have a comfortable retirement in this village as I could no longer return to the palace.

When I heard about the tragedy, I tried several times to come back to Konoha and take care of the children, as the Princess would've wanted, but each time I wasn't allowed in.

I hate your village. Your lies and secrets destroyed a loving family. How can you stand to serve a village like that?"

Sakura, throughout the story, in deep thought. The village that the woman was talking about-Konoha. There were several prominent clans, each with their own stories of tragedy.

Kakashi replied in an even voice, a constantly heard phrase, "A shinobi will do what he must to protect his village."

"I know about you, Kakashi Hatake. You were his sensei and a high-ranked ninja. And they didn't tell you about his background, " the elderly woman sneered.

"Then...the boy you're talking about is Sasuke-kun!" Sakura exclaimed, breaking the growing tension.

Kakashi, thankful for the interruption, decided to steer the conversation back to the topic. "Is he aware of this?"

"I don't know if they told him. They didn't tell Prince Itachi, but I guess he eventually figured it out. The Princess didn't make it too difficult anyway. It was obvious in her etiquette and manner, " she conceded and allowed the change in topic.

But Sakura brought it back, "I don't understand. If you don't like our village, why are you helping us? I mean, I appreciate that you told us this, but-"

"When Prince Sasuke is found, I want to be allowed back into Konoha and to serve the Uchiha family again," she replied, voice filled with determination.

"Understood. We would like to escort you to Konoha now. You will be safer there and if Sasuke does find out about you, he will have to come home to meet you," Kakashi agreed. This woman was a civilian and it was be best to keep her in Konoha for her own safety as well as to safeguard the information she bore.

"Fine," she accepted and left, presumably to pack her belongings.

"I always thought of Sasuke-kun as a prince because he's an Uchiha heir. It's pretty amazing. Sasuke-kun is a real prince. But Kakashi-sensei, if he finds out about this, won't he be happy? He still has living family members. Even though they're not Uchiha. But then...he'll stay at the palace instead of coming back. But still, it's better than wherever he is now." Sakura was glancing down at her lap, reminiscing about the younger Sasuke-kun.

She remembered one of her fondest memories. Sakura was playing tea party with a pretty pink teddy bear at a park. Then, some of the girls from school passed by and told her to hand over the doll. Even though she was starting to get scared, she refused to give up her favorite doll. An ugly girl doesn't need a pretty doll they said. Two girls held Sakura while the leader took the doll. Ami climbed up a tree and placed the doll in a high branch. They left when they got bored of watching Sakura's pathetic attempts to climb the tree. Finally, Sakura was able to climb up to a low branch but still not high enough to reach the teddy bear. She tried to climb higher but accidentally slipped. But she didn't get hurt. Sasuke-kun happened to be passing by and caught her. He carried her like in the fairytales and gently set her down on her picnic blanket. After making sure she was alright, he climbed the tree to get the bear. Sakura tried to stop him, worried that he might get hurt, but he didn't listen. On his way down, clapping was heard and Sasuke's brother appeared, praising him. Sasuke's smile was brighter than sunshine.

A/N: will be edited later. Sorry for long delay.


End file.
